Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Supes OK Full Circle Permit

Move Will Allow Company To Dispose Of Fly Ash On Property On Route 501

Supervisors on Monday approved an application to rezone 11.4 acres on Route 501 from agricultural to business, a move that will allow a company to use the property to dispose of fly ash from area power plants.
In addressing the proposal prior to the Board’s vote on the application, Assistant County Administrator Jerry Lovelace said that Full Circle Solutions has responded to all concerns.
Full Circle estimates the property, located at the intersection of U.S. 501 and Carrington Trail, will be in operation for approximately two years.
“The planning commission held a hearing on January 24 on the issue and it’s the recommendation that the rezoning request be approved,” he told the Board during its regular monthly meeting Monday.
Lovelace told supervisors that representatives from Full Circle had addressed all issues posed by adjacent property owners during a public hearing on the proposal in December.
Full Circle Vice-President Bob Waller told the Board that a study by the Environmental Protection Agency proved the fly-ash fill will not impact surrounding landowners.
“Coming out of that study, the EPA determined that there are no significant health impacts for either individuals or the environment,” he said. “It was determined that a child would have to eat coal ash every day for 60 years to have any adverse reaction.”
Waller also told the Board that since beginning operations in the county in 1991, “we’ve been a good neighbor here in this county and would like to continue to do so.”
He offered supervisors the promise of monthly inspections of the property lines to check for dust from the operations.
“If we do see any, we are committed to clean that up immediately and take every measure to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Waller said.
But Supervisor Lottie Nunn said her constituents were opposed to the location of the business on Route 501.
“I feel I must vote against it,” she said.
Supervisor Doug Bowman said he was aware the company had operated for more than a decade in the county.
“I’m not aware of any complaints,” he said. “With the track record this company has in the county, there’s not going to be a problem.”
Supervisor Bryant Claiborne agreed with Nunn.
“I’m in support of progress, but I’m concerned about individual health,” he said. “My concern is for people with pre-existing conditions. Dust may be dust for us, but with pre-existing conditions it can be a real problem.”
County Administrator Bryan Foster reminded the Board that it could rescind the company’s permit any time it becomes necessary.
“I think one of the key factors here is this Board has the authority to pull the permit at any time if a health matter comes to the county’s attention,” he said.
On a motion by Supervisor Wayne Conner and a second by Supervisor Doug Bowman, the motion passed 6-2, with Nunn and Claiborne opposing.
Board Moves To Nix Truck Traffic On Dudley Road
Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution that could prohibit tractor-trailers on Route 615, Dudley Road.
During a public hearing on the proposal, several Dudley Road residents told supervisors that the truck traffic was “an accident waiting to happen.”
Pat Wingler told the board that several elderly residents walk on the road and school children are in danger while waiting for the school bus.
“There are a lot of problems out there,” she said. “I’d like to see you limit the trucks and put up a sign (prohibiting through traffic for trucks). We have a big accident waiting to happen and why should we wait for the accident to happen when we can do something about it?”
Dudley Road resident Jesse Judkins said a logging truck recently turned over in his yard.
“The logs went flying like missiles,” he said.
His wife agreed.
“This is an accident waiting to happen,” Sylvia Judkins said. “God forbid one of the trucks will hit a school bus one day. The road isn’t wide enough and we have been pushed off the road. If a log truck is coming, they will not be able to stop when the busses are picking up the children.”
But truck driver David Waller told the Board he pays for the use of the county’s roadways.
“I’m one of the truck drivers that use this road daily,” he said. “Last year, I delivered 307 loads to the Huber plant and the majority of them went across Dudley Road.
“This is a shortcut for me and it cuts down on my expenses.
Waller told the Board that between permits, licenses and fees, he paid $2,572 last year to operate his business.
“And I paid over $10,000 in sales and road use taxes and license plates to be able to operate on Virginia’s highways.
“It rubs me the wrong way to pay that much and then have someone tell me I can’t use their road,” Waller added. “I’ve never had a problem on this road and I’d ask you not to penalize us when we have more expenses than we can bear now.”
Responding to questions about the process of restricting truck traffic, VDOT Resident Administrator Joe Barkley said that once supervisors approve the closure, VDOT would conduct its own investigation.
“I have some safety concerns about weight limits on the bridge (on Dudley Road) and the railroad crossing,” Fitzgerald said. “The road itself isn’t conducive to truck traffic.
On a motion by Bowman and with a second by Claiborne, the request to close the roadway to truck traffic passed unanimously.
School Property Sale OK’d
Supervisors approved a resolution that will authorize the Halifax County School Board to sell approximately one-half acre in Halifax and retain the proceeds from the sale.
The property is located across the street from the current STEM center, located in the former Craddock Terry building. Foster said the appraised value on the property is around $65,000.
“It’s the corner lot on Craddock Street on the same side of the street as Wachovia,” Foster said.
“This corner lot was part of the old Craddock Terry property and it’s of no value to us to use as a parking lot for students because they’d have to cross Route 501,” Assistant School Administrator Larry Clark told the Board.
Once sold, the school system will use proceeds from the sale to improve parking at the STEM center, according to the county administrator.
“They are required (by state law) to put any money raised into the capital fund and use it for capital purposes,” Foster said. “Parking would qualify.”
On a motion by Bowman and with a second by Nunn, the Board unanimously approved the sale.
In other business, supervisors unanimously agreed to fund one-third of the $21,500 cost to study the impact the proposed regional water/sewer authority will have on utility rates in the county.
Reporting from the water/sewer working group, Bowman told the Board that the Authority needs further information before making a recommendation.
“In order for the three governing bodies to make a decision, we need to find out what the rate structure will look like for the joint body,” he said.
Engineers Draper-Aden & Associates will conduct the study and report back to the Authority within 45-60 days.
“I think all three jurisdictions (South Boston, Halifax and the county) will see an equal benefit of a successful resolution (to the question),” Bowman said.
Citizen Comments
Alton resident Randy Bailey had strong words for supervisors during the public comment period Monday night.
Bailey said he has repeatedly brought issues to the county’s attention that he feels need to be addressed.
According to Bailey, attempts to get what he described as “run-down barns” near his property removed have been met with inaction by the county.
“I haven’t had nothing done yet,” he said.
Bailey also had strong words regarding the county’s not taking action on complaints about “trash.”
“I’m trying to clean up the neighborhood, but I’m running into a brick wall,” he said. “They (county administration) don’t want to do nothing on that.
He said he has to clean up his place, but others don’t.
During his public comments, Bailey also complained about the speed limit on Mason Chapel Road and neighborhood dogs.
“I can’t understand why something can’t be done about it,” he said. “If y’all don’t want to enforce your ordinances, I’ll bring someone in to get things done and I know you aren’t going to like it when I do."

 

12-Year-Old Boy Shot With
Pellet Gun In South Boston
The South Boston Police are searching for a suspect(s) who reportedly shot a 12-year-old boy with a pellet gun in front of his Bancroft Street home Sunday night, according to Investigator T.M. VanAernem.
Police were called to the Halifax Regional Hospital emergency room at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday following a report of a shooting, VanAernem said. Corporal C.L. Carswell was the first officer on the scene and investigation revealed that the child was struck in the chest with what appeared to be a BB when he walked out onto the front porch of his residence, police said.
According to Carswell’s report, the child was then transported to a Roanoke-area hospital as a precaution in case of internal injuries.
Police are asking anyone with information about this crime to call the South Boston Police Department at 575-4271 or Crimestoppers at 575-TIPS.
In other police business, Josephine C. Lawson, 29, of Sinai Road in South Boston, was charged Monday with trespassing.
The alleged offense occurred January 26.
Deputy T.N. Bratton issued the summons.

 

House Panel Guts Kaine’s Transportation Plan

By Bob Lewis
The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The heart of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s transportation funding plan — higher car sales and insurance premiums taxes — died Monday in the House Finance Committee.
On party-line votes, the tax-writing panel’s Republican majority killed both of the Democratic governor’s bills. With no House transportation financing plan, only the Senate’s $2 billion two-year transportation tax package survives.
Later, on the House floor, Republicans advanced toward final floor votes Tuesday two bills that would, for the first time, take substantial oversight of transportation away from the executive branch and vest it in the part-time General Assembly.
With those actions, the debate between the House and Kaine escalates as the legislative session approaches its critical midpoint and a Feb. 19 deadline for completing work on budget bills.
Kaine has said he’s willing to negotiate for other sources of sustainable revenue, but has already begun traveling the state to build public support for dedicating up to $1 billion annually to roads, rails and transit projects and giving localities a greater hand in controlling runaway suburban sprawl.
Expect him to pick up the pace as early as Tuesday when he addresses a Capitol Square rally of smart-growth advocates who support his local land-use bills.
‘‘I think you will see Governor Kaine increasingly making the point that there is a cost to doing nothing,’’ said Kevin Hall, Kaine’s press secretary.
Finance Committee Republicans said Kaine’s tax increases at a time when the General Fund surplus approaches $1 billion is unacceptable.
‘‘What does a surplus mean? It means you’ve sent too much money to Richmond,’’ said Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William.
But Kaine and committee Democrats say today’s surplus and the good economy that creates it won’t be there every year, and a transportation plan can’t be financed without a reliable and dedicated revenue source.
The administration, however, opposes diverting to transportation money from the general fund, which pays for public education, health care and public safety.
One of Kaine’s bills would have increased the sales tax on automobile sales from the present discounted rate of 3 percent to the same 5 percent rate that applies to all other retail sales. It died on a 14-8 committee vote.
The other would have increased the rate of taxes paid on automobile insurance premiums. The committee killed it on a 13-8 vote.
Lobbyists for the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association and Virginia insurers called both proposals unfair and damaging to their industries.
VADA lobbyist Donald L. Hall said ending the sales tax discount for car sales would cost consumers statewide about $800 million the next two years and burden auto dealers already reeling from last year’s sharp gasoline price increases.
‘‘You increase the price of cars, I can assure you one thing: We will not continue selling those cars at the pace we’ve been selling them,’’ he said.
J. Christopher LaGow, who represents several major national insurers, said the premiums tax is unfair because only owners of cars registered in Virginia pay it.
‘‘None of the nonresidents who use our roads day in and day out by the millions are affected by this,’’ LaGow said.
According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, car sales in Virginia jumped from 1.59 million vehicles in 2003 to nearly 1.73 million in 2004 before falling to 1.71 million last year after gasoline prices doubled, cutting sales of large, fuel-hungry sport utility vehicles.
The average sale price for all new and used cars last year was of $11,557, according to DMV figures. An additional 2 percentage points in taxes would increase the price by $231.14.
A competing plan proposed by Senate Republicans also would boost the automobile sales tax to 5 percent as well as increase the tax on fuel.

 

Halifax Receives $20,511 To Supplement Emergency Food, Shelter Programs

Halifax County has been awarded federal funds totaling $20,511 under the emergency food and shelter national board program.
A local board made up of the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Department of Social Services, local churches and private citizens will determine how the funds will be distributed among area programs.
Under the terms of the grant, local organizations must be private, voluntary and non-profit or units of government, have an accounting system, practice non-discrimination, have the capacity to deliver emergency food and shelter programs and if they are private they must have a voluntary board.
Qualifying organizations are urged to apply. The money is to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.
The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the federal emergency management agency (FEMA) and has representatives from the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, United Jewish Communities, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ and the United Way of America which will provide the administrative staff and function as the fiscal agent. Board members were asked to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
For additional information contact Rev. Roger Ford, LRO chairman, at 476-4294 or Sue Kennedy at 575-7916 no later than February 21.

 

Council To Hear Audit Review,
Tax Schedule

Halifax Town Council will hear an audit review from Burnett & Sneed accountant Larry Sneed for the fiscal year 2004-05 at its Thursday work session. The work session will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Halifax Town Hall on South Main Street. Also, on the finance committee’s agenda is the modified schedule for personal property and real estate tax payments, the January finance report, appropriation of the $97,515 Halifax fiber grant and a review of the results of the Draper-Aden pro-forma rate study.
On the Current Affairs Committee’s agenda is a request for a special use permit for home occupation from Lakeside Counseling, PLC, review of recodification and amended ordinances, solid waste and recycling and the police chief’s report. Council will also address changing the polling place in Ward D and establish a meeting date for the preliminary draft review of the town’s personnel policy manual. Council will hold it’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday, February 14, at 7:30 p.m. in town hall.

 

Comets Grapplers Preparing For District Tourney

A Handful Of HCHS Wrestlers Are Expected To Qualify For The Northwest Region Tourney

A half a dozen Halifax County High School wrestlers are pretty much guaranteed to advance to the Northwest Region following Saturday’s annual Western Valley District championship wrestling tournament at Franklin County High School.
However, Comets head wrestling coach Brady Taylor and his contingent of grapplers are hoping for more.
Brent Messick (112 pounds), Jordan Litchfield (119 pounds), Heather Oakes (125 pounds), Charles Crawley (171 pounds), Robert Stanfield (215 pounds) and Cavanaugh Smith (275 pounds) are pretty sure bets to advance out of the district tournament.
With the top four finishers in each weight class advancing to the regional competition and there being four or less competitors in the weight classes occupied by the six Halifax County wrestlers, it appears that the six Comets wrestlers are locked in.
“All of them are guaranteed to go (to the regional competition) unless one of the other district teams enters somebody prior to Friday,” Taylor pointed out.
Just because the six Comets grapplers appear to be locked in, that doesn’t mean that they won’t have to compete at a high level this weekend.
“Those guys need to wrestle as well as they can and finish as high in their weight class as they can,” Taylor said.
“If you finish high in your weight class you will draw a lower finishing wrestler in the first round of the regionals. There is a formula that is used to make the pairings for the regionals. You want to finish as high as possible in your weight class so that you can draw a lower seed early.”
For a handful of other Comets wrestlers that includes Shayna Oakes (130 pounds), Jonathan Chappell (135 pounds), Josh Brooks (140 pounds), Ray Albert (152 pounds) and Damon Chambers (189 pounds), things are a little more complicated.
Taylor said each of those wrestlers will need to score at least one win in Saturday’s district competition in order to place high enough to advance to the Northwest Region competition.
While the Comets would like nothing better than to steal the win in Saturday’s team competition, the odd-on favorite to win the district title is host Franklin County which is expected to have the top seed in at least half of the 14 weight classes.
Regardless of the outcome for the Comets in terms of the team score and placement in Saturday’s Western Valley District championships, the season has been a good one for the Comets grapplers.
Halifax County finished the regular season with an 8-15 overall record with the eight wins being the most wins a Comets wrestling team has posted in four years.
“It’s been a pretty good season,” said Taylor.
“The 15 losses is something that we have to work on but to win the most matches we have won in four years is a pretty good accomplishment.”
Taylor said one of the keys to the season was the work of the wrestlers.
“The kids worked hard,” Taylor said.
“They wrestled better this year than they did last year.”
Taylor said the fact that the team was able to get in its full slate of contests was a factor in the outcome of the season.
“We were able to get in all of our matches,” Taylor noted.
“We had only match that was postponed and we were able to reschedule it so that we had a separate match against both of the two teams that we would have faced in that one match that was postponed.”
Next season will be something of a rebuilding year for Taylor as he will lose all of his starters from the145-pound weight class up through the 275-pound weight class.
“We will have Ben Wilborn and Richie Wright at 215 and 275,” Taylor pointed out.
“Josh Brooks will have to pick up the slack from the loss of Ray Albert. Brent (Messick) and (Jordan) Litchfield will be back next year. Still, we’re going to be short in a lot of weight classes. We’re going to have to do some heavy recruiting to see if we can find people who would be interested in coming out for the team and filling these spots.”

 

Record-Breaking HCHS Swim Team In Regional Championships

Comets Send 17 Swimmers To Regionals Friday

The record-breaking Comets swim team will send 17 swimmers to the Northwest Regional Championships, beginning Friday at George Mason University.
Halifax is coming off a strong showing at the Western Valley District (WVD) Meet in late January, where the Comets boys placed second and the girls third in advance of this week’s competition.
Five school records were broken in the district championships, including the 200-yard boys freestyle by Dane Ferguson in 1:59.39, breaking his own record.
Caroline Clements broke her own mark in the 50-yard freestyle, swimming a time of 25.98 seconds, and also her mark in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 55.72.
The boys 400-yard freestyle relay team, with Eric Nelson, Bryan Slagle, Jarrett Pearce and Ferguson, broke the school record in that event in a time of 3:48.60.
Not to be outdone, the girls 200-yard freestyle team, with Lacy Will, Sarah Rosche, Megan Rosche and Clements shattered the school record with at time of 1:53.58.
Qualifying for the regionals after the WVD Meet were the Comets boys 200-yard medley team of Nelson, Phillip Saunders, Slagle and Trevor Griffin, and the 200-yard freestyle team of Nelson, Slagle, Pearce and Ferguson.
Ferguson and Pearce are listed as alternates for the 200 medley relay, while Griffin and Saunders are alternates for the 200 free relay.
Also qualifying was the boys 400-yard freestyle relay team of Nelson, Slagle, Pearce and Ferguson, with Griffin and Saunders listed as alternates.
The Comets girls qualified three relay teams for the regionals, the first being the 200-yard medley relay team of Emily Bowen, Courtney McDowell, Clements and Sarah Rosche, with Will and Megan Rosche listed as alternates.
Also qualifying was the girls 200-yard freestyle relay team with Will, Sarah Rosche, Megan Rosche and Clements, with Bowen listed as an alternate, and the girls 400-yard freestyle relay team of Emily Rosche, Lindsey Martin, Sarah Rosche and Megan Rosche, with Will and Bowen listed as alternates.
Individually, Ferguson and Pearce qualified in the 200-yard freestyle, Pearce qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Nelson in the 50-yard freestyle.
Saunders and William McGhee qualified in the 200-yard IM, Slagle and Andrew Wilkins in the 100-yard backstroke, Ferguson and Griffin in the 100-yard freestyle and Saunders in the 500-yard freestyle.
Five Comets girls swimmers qualified in individual events, including Emily Rosche in the 200-yard freestyle, Will in the 200-yard IM, Clements and Megan Rosche in the 50-yard freestyle and C.A. Nichols in the 100-yard butterfly.

 

Halifax Christian School Boys Cagers Win Two Of Three

The Mustangs Picked Up Two Wins Late Last Week But Fell To Zion Christian Academy 56-44 Here Monday Night

The Halifax Christian School boys basketball team picked up a pair of wins last weekend but fell to Zion Christian Academy 56-44 here Monday night.
Last weekend the Mustangs defeated Clearview Christian School 68-45 on Thursday night and defeated Christian Heritage Academy 82-72 on Friday night.
With the 2-1 slate in their last three games the Mustangs’ record is now 8-3 on the season.
In Monday’s loss to Zion Christian Academy, the Mustangs got 13 points from Josh Walker, nine points from Josh Kennon, eight points from Adam Blosser, and six points from Michael Brizendine.
Dax Garber and Tyriq Glenn chipped in three points each and Dylan Garber scored two points.
The Mustangs had a tough time matching up size-wise against Zion Christian Academy taller players.
Halifax Christian School fell behind early and trailed 11-3 after the first five minutes and fell behind by as many as 10 points before igniting on an 8-0 run that brought the Mustangs back to within two points at 13-11 with 54 seconds left in the opening period.
A free throw and a three-point basket from Kennon kicked off the rally and Dylan Garber and Blosser added a basket each to complete the run.
Zion bounced back to score twice in the final 37 seconds and took an 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Mustangs got a three-pointer from Brizendine and a basket from Walker in the first minute and a half of the second quarter to deadlock the game at 18-18. That was as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the night.
After ZCA pulled out to a 22-18 lead, Dax Garber completed a three-point play to bring the Mustangs back to within a point at 22-21 with 5:12 left in the half.
Halifax got no closer than three points the rest of the half as ZCA outscored the Mustangs 8-1 in the final 2:24 of the first half to take a 34-25 lead at halftime.
Walker hit two baskets in the first three minutes of the second half, one a three-pointer, in an attempt to keep the game close but ZCA continued to control the tempo and held a 10-point 42-32 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The two teams played pretty evenly in the fourth quarter but that wasn’t good enough as the Mustangs fell by a 12-point margin.
Last Weekend’s Action
Halifax Christian School School boys basketball team won a pair of games late last week, downing Clearview Christian School 68-45 on Thursday and defeating Christian Heritage Academy 82-72 on Friday.
Three Halifax Christian School players hit double figures in Thursday’s win over Clearview with Blosser leading the way with 20 points, Walker following with 16 points and Brizendine following with 11 points.
Kennon chipped in eight points, Chuquor Mosley and Bryan Newbill scored five points each and Tyriq Glenn added three points.
Halifax Christian School had a relatively easy time of it in this game, jumping to a 21-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and holding a 22-point 38-16 lead at halftime.
The Mustangs were up 54-29 at the end of three quarters and cruised to the easy 23-point win.
Halifax Christian School hit three three-point shots in the game.
Five Mustangs players hit double digits in scoring in Friday’s win over Christian Heritage Academy with Brizendine leading the way with 32 points.
Walker chipped in 17 points, Dylan Garber scored 12 points, Blosser scored 11 points and Glenn followed with 10 points.
The Mustangs led virtually all of Friday’s contest. Halifax was on top by five points at 17-12 at the end of the first quarter and extended its lead to a dozen points at 40-28 at halftime.
Halifax Christian School led 62-43 at the end of the third quarter and held on to secure the 10-point win.
The Mustangs hit three three-point shots in the game and were 19-24 from the charity stripe.

 

Obituaries

Marilyn Brooks Brandon
Marilyn Brooks Brandon, 59, of 5009 Wolf Trap Road, South Boston, died February 4, 2006, at Duke University Medical Center.
Mrs. Brandon was born in Philadelphia, Pa. on December 7, 1946, to John Brooks and Gracie Wilkerson Brooks, and was married to John H. Brandon. She was a member of First Baptist Church, Ferry Street.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Deadrea L. Wells of South Boston and Tracey Y. Brandon of Bushkill, Pa.; one son, John M. Brandon of South Boston; 12 grandchildren; three sisters, Linda Brown of N.C., Thelma Dixon and Gloria Moore, both of South Boston; two brothers, Jerry Brooks of Hampton and Henry Brooks of South Boston; her mother-in-law, Virginia Brandon of South Boston; one son-in-law, Stanwood Wells; three sisters-in-law, Hattie Norrell, Dorothy Shackleford and Pamela Brooks; six brothers-in-law, Robert Brown, Sparney Moore, Leon Owen, William Dixon, Garfield Brandon, Melvin Brandon and Michael Shackleford. Mrs. Brandon was preceded in death by one sister, Diane Owen.
Funeral services will be held today, February 8, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Wallace M. Pierce officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Lena McCormick Jacobs
Lena McCormick Jacobs, 77, of 1203 Hummingbird Lane, South Boston, died February 6, 2006.
Mrs. Jacobs was born May 7, 1928, in Red Springs, N.C. the daughter of the late O’Neill McPhatter and Captola McPhatter, and was first married to the late Cyrus McCormick, and later to the late Willie Jacobs. She was a retired nurse and was a member of St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Sonja Brown of Alexandria; four sons, Cyrus McCormick of S.C., Larry McCormick of Silver Springs, Md., Bruce McCormick of Washington, D.C., and Robert McCormick of South Boston; one sister, Victoria Bratcher of Wagram, N.C.; one brother, Oris McPhatter of Wagram; 11 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jacobs will be held Saturday, February 11, at 11 a.m. at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Freddie Douglas Pettus Sr.
Funeral services for Freddie Douglas Pettus Sr. were held February 7, at 1 p.m. at the chapel of Giles-Harris Funeral Home in Chase City.
The date was erroneously announced by the funeral home in an earlier edition of this newspaper.